Clothes-line fastener.



J. BALLUL.

GLOTHBS LINE PASTE-NEE. APPLICATION nun JULY 1, 191 1.

1,012,587. I Patanted Dec.26,1911.

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. TE STATES JOHN BALLUL, OF MASPETH, NEW YORK.

CLOTHES-LINE FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed July 1, 1911. Serial No. 636,455.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, J OHN BALLUL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maspeth, borough of Queens, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-Line Fastener, of which the following is a specification' This invention relates to a clothes line fastener of novel construction adapted to securely connect the ends of a clothes line in such a manner that slipping is prevented and that any slack may be readily taken up.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side View of a clothes line fastener embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 a plan.

An oblong frame 10 is provided with a longitudinal slot 11 extending through the main portion thereof, and with an eye 12 located at one end of the frame. At or near the center of slot 11, there extends across frame 10, the pivot pin '13 of a lever 14 which is free to play within that section of the slot which is distanced from eye 12. Lever 14: is L shaped, being provided with an integral upwardly extending handle 15 which projects above the frame. The operative end of lever 14 is widened and corrugated to constitute a movable jaw 16 cooperating with a fixed jaw 17 formed by the end piece of frame 10, said end piece being rounded so as not to cut the line introduced between the jaws- The down stroke of lever 14 is checked by means of a heel 18 which is integral with the lever and extends rearwardly from pivot 13, said heel being adapted to strike a pair of upper abutments 19 formed on the side pieces of frame 10, with in the are of oscillation of the heel. The upstroke of lever 14 is checked by a laterally extending pin 20, integral with jaw 16 and adapted to engage the lower side of one of the side pieces of frame 10. Upon heel 18 there rests intermediate abutments 19 one end of a fiat spring 21 located in that portion of slot 11 which adjoins eye 12. This spring passes beneath a bridge piece 22 of frame 10 that traverses the slot, and rests with its other end upon a flanged cross piece 23 of said frame that separates eye 12 from slot 11. By the means described, the spring is permanently secured to frame 10 without the use of any rivets, joints or other connections whatever, it being permanently held to the frame-by overlying heel 18 and cross piece 23, and underlying bridge piece first placed on cross piece 23 and below bridge piece 22, then lever 14 is fitted into slot 11 with its heel 18 below the spring and finally pivot 13 is passed through frame 10 and through an eye 24: formed at the bend of the lever.

In use one end 25 of the clothes line 26 is knot-ted to eye 12, while its other end 27 is passed through the clutch formed by jaws 16, 17. The spring 21 in tending to swing jaw 16 upward, will cause the line to be firmly held against disengagement from the fastener by the weight of the suspended wash. In case any slack is to be taken up, this can be readily accomplished by a pull on the free end 27 of the line that projects below the clamp.

I claim:

A clothes line fastener comprising a frame having a slot and a pair of upper abutments, a lever pivoted to the frame within said slot and having a rearwardly extending heel adapted-to engage the abutments, and a spring secured to the frame and supported at one end upon the heel intermediate the abutments, whereby the heel constitutes means for limiting the downstroke of the lever and also means for placing said lever under spring influence.

JOHN BALLUL.

Witnesses:

FRANK v. BRmsEN,

KATHERYNE KooH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

e22. In assembling the parts, spring 21 is 

